


Light as Laughter

by wwwjudedotcom



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:48:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26566819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wwwjudedotcom/pseuds/wwwjudedotcom
Summary: Michael would recognize that laugh anywhere.
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Comments: 2
Kudos: 38





	Light as Laughter

**Author's Note:**

> For Michael Guerin Week  
> Day 4: The Lost Decade/“We are a family”
> 
> Just some fluff because everything I write is so angsty for some reason. No plot really.

2010

Michael had just woken up when he heard a knock on the door of his airstream. He turned to see Alex in bed, got distracted by how beautiful he was, and then remembered how nobody was supposed to know about them. How Alex was still in the air force, how Alex had made him promise his dad wouldn’t find out. He heard Isobel’s voice and figured he could probably stall her outside for a few minutes until she left and he could go back to Alex. 

“What do you need, Iz?”

“We’re family, I have to need something?”

“When it’s 7 in the morning, yes, yes you do.”

He hoped his annoyance would be enough to make her leave. She just frowned. 

“You have someone in there, don’t you?”

He looked at the rental car Alex had driven here last night. He thanked the stars it wasn’t a vehicle that could identify Alex. Her gaze followed his, and he could see her mind trying to figure out whose car that was. 

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. And I want to get back to making her breakfast.”

He changed pronouns so Isobel couldn’t go around guessing which of the three gay men in Roswell were inside. Isobel rolled her eyes, probably for the third time since showing up. She made her way to her car and gave Michael a backwards glance. 

“I’ll be back later. Get dressed this time.” 

Michael looked down at himself, dressed only in boxers and nothing else. By the time he looked back up, she was gone. He made his way back inside to see Alex had woken up. 

“Did she see me?” 

“You’re all good. I told her I was making some girl breakfast.” 

Alex squinted but nodded anyways. He trusted Michael, and as much as he was inclined to trust Isobel (through Michael’s words alone, he painted a pretty kind picture of her), he still couldn’t afford for anyone to find out. 

“Is that your way of telling me you’re making me breakfast?” Alex lightened the mood instead.

Michael just nodded and threw a box of cereal at him. They both laughed. Michael couldn’t remember the last time he heard Alex laugh. The was only their second time meeting in as many years. Alex didn’t tend to stay in Roswell on his leave but Michael had a way of convincing him to come, if only for a few days. 

“Your laugh is-“ 

Michael cut himself off, unsure how to describe his laugh in a way that didn’t sound so cheesy. How could he tell Alex that he thought his laugh was the best sound in the universe? That his laugh made his heart beat a little too hard but in a good way? That his laugh was the first thing he wanted to hear in the morning and the last thing he wanted to hear before he fell asleep? But Michael didn’t say any of that, because he knew it would only hurt more when Alex had to leave. 

Instead, he said, “I like your laugh.” 

How underwhelming. Alex just laughed again. 

“You like my laugh?” 

He wasn’t serious but Michael’s face dropped. Alex noticed and immediately stopped laughing. 

“Well I couldn’t say your laugh makes everything right in the universe now could I?” Michael asked, his eyes challenging Alex. 

“Damn. I guess you couldn’t.”

Michael laid back down, wrapping up Alex. He knew today was the day he was leaving, and he wanted as much contact as he could before it was taken away. 

“I love when you laugh,” Michael said quietly. 

The sunlight trickled in through the paper on the windows and he just savored the moment: Alex, covered in pieces of sun, skin slightly warm. Michael held on tighter. 

2018

He would know that laugh anywhere. The laugh that even after a decade made his heart do backflip after backflip. Michael was working on the Crashdown, a sign that needed fixing, when he heard it again. Light as air and bringing air into his lungs. Until he realized that Alex wasn’t supposed to be back for three months. Michael didn’t want to imagine the worst had happened, and obviously it didn’t if Alex was laughing about ten feet behind him. But he didn’t want to think about why he was home so soon. He didn’t turn around, but he heard footsteps approaching. 

“Hey,” Alex’s voice was neutral, as if greeting an old acquaintance and not the love of his life. 

It made Michael want to throw up, even though he knew it was because Liz was next to him and there were people everywhere. He tried to keep his voice like Alex’s when he responded. Michael tried to make it sound like he didn’t care when he asked his question. 

“You’re back?”

“Three quarters of me,” He bent down to tap his metal leg. 

Michael looked down, unable to look back up to meet his eyes. But then he had to remind himself that Alex was here, he was alive, and he was laughing. Liz must have noticed something because she whispered in Alex’s ear and went back inside. 

“I’m okay, Guerin. Really. You don’t have to look at me like that.” 

Michael finally looked up, not realizing how he must’ve looked to Alex. 

“No, no, that’s not, I didn’t-“

“It’s fine.” 

Michael sighed, “I just heard your laugh and my brain went to mush. I’m glad you’re okay. I’m glad you’re home.” 

Alex gave a slight nod. He wasn’t sure if he was home, but he was here. 

“You should come by later, we could have a beer or something.” 

Michael didn’t think he heard Alex right. He was the one doing the inviting? Michael was silent at the role reversal. Alex clearly took that for rejection because he tried to backtrack. 

“You don’t have to, obviously. It was just a thought. I mean-“ 

“No, I mean yes. Yes. I’ll be there. Just took me by surprise. Guess I’m still thinking about you laughing. It always did mess me up.” 

Alex nodded, more certainly this time. He wrote his new address on a piece of paper and handed it to Michael. Michael laughed when he saw the purple writing; of course Alex lived in the middle of nowhere, and of course he carried around a purple pen in his pocket. 

“Your laugh makes everything right too, you know,” Alex said as he walked into the Crashdown, leaving Michael holding the paper and looking like he’d just won the lottery.


End file.
